Whether you run a Fortune 500 Company or a small business coming up, you have a lot of important data that you want to keep confidential. This information needs to be kept secure so that you don’t have to worry about the wrong people getting their hands on it. When hiring a company that provides managed IT solutions, they are placed in charge of keeping this information safe but as a business owner, it is important to know common security breaches that can put this information in jeopardy.

Losing Hardware

If your company utilizes a bring-your-own-device in the workplace, then the possibility of a security breach is higher than a company who has devices specifically used strictly for business. When a person uses their personal device for business as well, the potential to lose this item outside of the work environment. When an item is lost, it can come into the hands of anyone and that leaves a company vulnerable to a possible breach. IT service companies recommend having devices that are used solely in the office to eliminate any potential risk.

Phishing Scams

Unfortunately, phishing scams appear all too common in workplace emails. These are official looking emails that appear to be safe but when opened can give away bits or loads of company information that was not meant to be shared. One way to avoid scams such as these is to educate employees on these types of emails and stirring clear of malicious links. It service companies are a great asset in educating your employees and ensuring that vital company information is not released.

Simple Logins

This is probably one of the easiest ways to compromise a company’s confidential information. When an employee uses something like their birthday, a name, or easy combination of numbers it does not take a rocket scientist to figure that out. Managed IT service providers recommend that employers require all employees to use a complex password to ensure that no malicious software can easily gain access to valuable company information. A complex password that is not easily “guessable” gives businesses a strong level of defense from malicious software.

Ignoring Data Policies

The final common security breach that can easily be avoided is by just following the company’s policies. When employees ignore the policies set in place by their company, it puts the entire company at risk for a security breach. Ignoring these policies can range from using unsecure networks, weak passwords, not following protocol when returning message, etc. Policies are put into place for a reason and in this case, security policies are put into place to keep essential company data secure.

Often times, security breaches are not due to some expert hacker that got ahold of confidential data. A security breach is usually due to simple human error that can easily avoided. These steps, although extremely simple and maybe even obvious, must be followed to ensure that human errors are not the cause of any company security breaches.